PD_21/07/20(SE: 81-108;5lb) Flashcards
pedagogy
noun [ U ] EDUCATION specialized
the study of the methods and activities of teaching
resigned
adjective
accepting that something you do not like will happen because you cannot change it:
a resigned look/expression/tone
opprobrium
noun [ U ] formal
severe criticism and blame:
International opprobrium has been heaped on the country following its attack on its neighbours.
fulmination
noun [ C or U ] formal
strong criticism or protest:
Stewart doesn’t deserve such outraged fulminations.
Her complaint took the form of fulmination, not reasoned argument.
exculpate
verb [ T ] formal
to remove blame from someone:
The pilot of the aircraft will surely be exculpated when all the facts are known.
incarcerate
verb [ T ]
formal
to put or keep someone in prison or in a place used as a prison:
Thousands of dissidents have been interrogated or incarcerated.
manumit
(transitive)
to free from slavery, servitude, etc; emancipate
inter
verb [ T ] formal
to bury a dead body:
Many of the soldiers were interred in unmarked graves.
happenstance
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [oft a NOUN, oft by NOUN]
If you say that something happened by happenstance, you mean that it happened because of certain circumstances, although it was not planned by anyone.
[written]
I came to live at the farm by happenstance.
causality
noun [ U ] formal
the principle that there is a cause for everything that happens
Causality is the relationship of cause and effect.
[formal]
…the chain of causality that produces an earthquake.
vindicate
verb [ T ]
to prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong:
The decision to include Morris in the team was completely vindicated when he scored two goals.
The investigation vindicated her complaint about the newspaper.
to prove that someone is not guilty or is free from blame, after other people blamed them:
They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to vindicate themselves.
moral turpitude
conduct that is regarded as immoral
inept
ADJECTIVE
If you say that someone is inept, you are criticizing them because they do something with a complete lack of skill.
[disapproval]
He was inept and lacked the intelligence to govern.
You are completely inept at writing.
…his inept handling of the army.
Synonyms: incompetent, bungling, clumsy, cowboy
amoral
adjective
without moral principles:
Humans, he argues, are amoral and what guides them is not any sense of morality but an instinct for survival.
incompetence
noun [ U ]
lack of ability to do something successfully or as it should be done:
Management have demonstrated almost unbelievable incompetence in their handling of the dispute.
allegations/accusations of incompetence
sloth
noun
[ U ] literary
unwillingness to work or make any effort:
The report criticizes the government’s sloth in tackling environmental problems.
incipient
adjective formal
just beginning:
signs of incipient public frustration
nascent
adjective formal
only recently formed or started, but likely to grow larger quickly:
a nascent political party
a nascent problem
nebulous
adjective
(especially of ideas) not clear and having no form:
She has a few nebulous ideas about what she might want to do in the future, but nothing definite.
inconsequential
adjective
not important:
an inconsequential matter/remark
Most of what she said was pretty inconsequential.
condone
verb [ T ]
to accept or allow behaviour that is wrong:
If the government is seen to condone violence, the bloodshed will never stop.
sabotage
- VERB [usually passive]
If a machine, railway line, or bridge is sabotaged, it is deliberately damaged or destroyed, for example in a war or as a protest.
The main pipeline supplying water was sabotaged by rebels. [be VERB-ed]
Synonyms: damage, destroy, wreck, undermine - VERB
If someone sabotages a plan or a meeting, they deliberately prevent it from being successful.
He accused the opposition of trying to sabotage the election. [VERB noun]
The explosion was designed to sabotage the negotiations. [VERB noun]
restraint
- VARIABLE NOUN
Restraints are rules or conditions that limit or restrict someone or something.
The Prime Minister is calling for new restraints on trade unions. [+ on]
With open frontiers, criminals could cross into the country without restraint.
Synonyms: limitation, limit, check, ban - UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Restraint is calm, controlled, and unemotional behaviour.
They behaved with more restraint than I’d expected.
I’ll speak to the staff and ask them to exercise restraint and common sense.
Synonyms: self-control, self-discipline, self-restraint, self-possession
prejudice
- VARIABLE NOUN
Prejudice is an unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things, or a preference for one group of people or things over another.
Ghaffur alleged that he was repeatedly subjected to unnecessary prejudice.
There is widespread prejudice against workers over 45.
He said he hoped the Swiss authorities would investigate the case thoroughly and without prejudice. - VERB
If you prejudice someone or something, you influence them so that they are unfair in some way.
I think your South American youth has prejudiced you. [VERB noun]
The report was held back for fear of prejudicing his trial. [VERB noun]
He claimed his case would be prejudiced if it became known he was refusing to answer questions. [V be V-ed]
manacle
Debacle
- COUNTABLE NOUN [usually plural]
Manacles are metal devices attached to a prisoner’s wrists or legs in order to prevent him or her from moving or escaping.
Synonyms: handcuff, bond, chain, shackle
A debacle is an event or attempt that is a complete failure.
After the debacle of the war the world was never the same again. [+ of]
The convention was a debacle.
Synonyms: disaster, catastrophe, fiasco
nettle
mettle
VERB
If you are nettled by something, you are annoyed or offended by it.
He was nettled by her manner. [be VERB-ed]
It was the suggestion that he might alter course to win an election that really nettled him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: irritate, provoke, annoy, gall
- UNCOUNTABLE NOUN [usually poss NOUN]
Someone’s mettle is their ability to do something well in difficult circumstances.
His first important chance to show his mettle came when he opened the new session of the Legislature.
For both sides, it’s the first real test of their mettle this season.
Synonyms: courage, spirit, resolution, resolve
fetter
- VERB
If you say that you are fettered by something, you dislike it because it prevents you from behaving or moving in a free and natural way.
[literary, disapproval]
…a private trust which would not be fettered by bureaucracy. [be VERB-ed]
The black mud fettered her movements. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: restrict, bind, confine, curb More Synonyms of fetter - PLURAL NOUN
You can use fetters to refer to things such as rules, traditions, or responsibilities that you dislike because they prevent you from behaving in the way you want.
[literary, disapproval]
…the fetters of social convention. - COUNTABLE NOUN [usually plural]
Especially in former times, fetters were chains for a prisoner’s feet.
He saw a boy in fetters in the dungeons.
pretentious
adjective disapproving
trying to appear or sound more important or clever than you are, especially in matters of art and literature:
a pretentious art critic
The novel deals with grand themes, but is never heavy or pretentious.
adroit
adjective
very skilful and quick in the way you think or move:
an adroit reaction/answer/movement of the hand
She became adroit at dealing with difficult questions.
atrocious
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone’s behaviour or their actions as atrocious, you mean that it is unacceptable because it is extremely violent or cruel.
The judge said he had committed atrocious crimes against women.
The treatment of the prisoners by their captors is atrocious and breaks all international laws.
Synonyms: cruel, savage, brutal, vicious
ADJECTIVE
If you describe something as atrocious, you are emphasizing that its quality is very bad.
[emphasis]
I remain to this day fluent in Hebrew, while my Arabic is atrocious.
The food here is atrocious.
Synonyms: shocking, terrible [informal], appalling, horrible
witty
ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is witty is amusing in a clever way.
His plays were very good, very witty.
He is a very witty speaker.
Synonyms: humorous, original, brilliant, funny
Winsome
underpin
verb [ T ]
ADJECTIVE
If you describe a person or their actions or behaviour as winsome, you mean that they are attractive and charming.
…a winsome young screen star.
She gave him her best winsome smile.
Synonyms: charming, taking, winning, pleasing
to give support, strength, or a basic structure to something:
He presented data to underpin his argument.
Gradually the laws that underpinned (= formed part of the basic structure of) apartheid were abolished.
When restoring the building, the first priority was to underpin the exterior walls by adding wooden supports along the foundations.
irradiate
to use radiation (= a form of energy) to destroy something, especially bacteria in food to keep it fresh
underserved
having inadequate service
overwhelm
verb
to defeat someone or something by using a lot of force:
Government troops have overwhelmed the rebels and seized control of the capital.
- VERB
If you are overwhelmed by a feeling or event, it affects you very strongly, and you do not know how to deal with it.
He was overwhelmed by a longing for times past. [be VERB-ed]
The need to talk to someone, anyone, overwhelmed her. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: overcome, overpower, devastate [informal], stagger More Synonyms of overwhelm
overwhelmed ADJECTIVE [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
Sightseers may be a little overwhelmed by the crowds and noise. [+ by] - VERB
If a group of people overwhelm a place or another group, they gain complete control or victory over them.
It was clear that one massive Allied offensive would overwhelm the weakened enemy. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: destroy, beat, defeat, overcome More Synonyms of overwhelm - VERB
If an organization or service is overwhelmed, it is unable to cope with the demand for it. .
Their greatest fear was that the health service could be overwhelmed. [be VERB-ed]
Synonyms: swamp, bury, flood, crush
undergird
verb [ T ] formal
to support something by forming a strong base for it:
These are the four major theories that undergird criminal law.
saturate
- VERB
If people or things saturate a place or object, they fill it completely so that no more can be added.
In the last days before the vote, both sides are saturating the airwaves. [VERB noun]
As the market was saturated with goods and the economy became more balanced, inflation went down. [be VERB-ed + with]
Synonyms: flood, overwhelm, swamp, overrun - VERB [usually passive]
If someone or something is saturated, they become extremely wet.
If the filter has been saturated with motor oil, it should be discarded and replaced. [be VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: soak, steep, drench, seep
cleave
verb [ I ] literary or old use
to separate or divide, or cause something to separate or divide, often violently:
With one blow of the knight’s axe, he clove the rock in twain (= into two pieces).
curb
- VERB
If you curb something, you control it and keep it within limits.
…advertisements aimed at curbing the spread of the disease. [VERB noun]
He called for energy consumption to be curbed. [be VERB-ed]
Curb is also a noun.
He called for much stricter curbs on immigration. [+ on] - VERB
If you curb an emotion or your behaviour, you keep it under control.
He curbed his temper. [VERB noun]
You must curb your extravagant tastes. [VERB noun]
torment
VERB
If something torments you, it causes you extreme mental suffering.
At times the memories returned to torment her. [VERB noun]
He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: torture, pain, distress, afflict
wallop
wallow
VERB
If you wallop someone or something, you hit them very hard, often causing a dull sound.
[informal]
Once, she walloped me over the head with a frying pan. [VERB noun preposition]
…a tennis player who wallops the ball so hard that it often finishes out of court. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: hit, beat, strike, knock
- VERB
If you say that someone is wallowing in an unpleasant situation, you are criticizing them for being deliberately unhappy.
[disapproval]
His tired mind continued to wallow in self-pity. [VERB + in]
I wanted only to wallow in my own grief. [VERB in noun] - VERB
If a person or animal wallows in water or mud, they lie or roll about in it slowly for pleasure.
Never have I had such a good excuse for wallowing in deep warm baths. [VERB + in]
Dogs love splashing in mud and hippos wallow in it. [VERB in noun]
crush
VERB
To crush something means to press it very hard so that its shape is destroyed or so that it breaks into pieces.
Andrew crushed his empty can. [VERB noun]
Their vehicle was crushed by an army tank. [VERB noun]
Peel and crush the garlic. [VERB noun]
…crushed ice. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: squash, pound, break, smash
COUNTABLE NOUN
If you have a crush on someone, you are in love with them but do not have a relationship with them.
[informal]
She had a crush on you, you know. [+ on]
I’d got over my schoolgirl crush.
attain
verb [ T ] formal
to reach or succeed in getting something:
He has attained the highest grade in his music exams.
We need to identify the best ways of attaining our objectives/goals.
India attained independence in 1947, after decades of struggle.
palliate
verb [ T ]
to reduce the bad effects of something:
They tried to palliate the hardship of their lives.
MEDICAL specialized
to reduce pain without curing its cause:
The drugs palliate pain but have no effect on inflammation.
dejected
adjective
unhappy, disappointed, or without hope:
She looked a bit dejected when they told her she didn’t get the job.
curt
adjective disapproving
If someone’s manner or speech is curt, it is rude as a result of being very quick:
to give a curt nod/reply
Andy was very curt with him.
downplay
VERB
If you downplay a fact or feature, you try to make people think that it is less important or serious than it really is.
The government is trying to downplay the violence. [VERB noun]
…to downplay the dangers of nuclear accidents. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: soft-pedal, play down
seditious
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A seditious act, speech, or piece of writing encourages people to fight against or oppose the government.
He fell under suspicion for distributing seditious pamphlets.
Synonyms: revolutionary, dissident, subversive, rebellious
incendiary
- ADJECTIVE [ADJECTIVE noun]
Incendiary weapons or attacks are ones that cause large fires.
Five incendiary devices were found in her house.
…incendiary attacks on shops.
Synonyms: inflammatory, provocative, subversive, seditious - COUNTABLE NOUN
An incendiary is an incendiary bomb.
A shower of incendiaries struck the Opera House.
demagogic
ADJECTIVE
If you say that someone such as a politician is demagogic, you are criticizing them because you think they try to win people’s support by appealing to their emotions rather than using reasonable arguments.
[formal, disapproval]
…a demagogic populist.
deferential
adjective
polite and showing respect:
She is always extremely deferential towards anyone in authority.
pallid
(pælɪd )
1. ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is pallid is pale in an unattractive or unnatural way.
…helpless grief on pallid faces.
…pallid grey vapour.
2. ADJECTIVE
You can describe something such as a performance or book as pallid if it is weak or not at all exciting.
…a pallid account of the future of transport.
…a pallid unsuccessful romance.
brusque
adjective
quick and rude in manner or speech:
His secretary was a little brusque with me.
dispassionate
adjective
able to think clearly or make good decisions because of not being influenced by emotions:
In all the media hysteria, there was one journalist whose comments were clear-sighted and dispassionate.
hirsute
adjective literary or humorous
having a lot of hair, especially on the face or body
melodramatic
adjective
showing much stronger emotions than are necessary or usual for a situation:
a melodramatic speech
spree
COUNTABLE NOUN [usually noun NOUN]
If you spend a period of time doing something in an excessive way, you can say that you are going on a particular kind of spree.
Some Americans went on a spending spree in December to beat the new tax.
indecisive
adjective
not good at making decisions:
He is widely thought to be an indecisive leader.
monologue
- COUNTABLE NOUN
If you refer to a long speech by one person during a conversation as a monologue, you mean it prevents other people from talking or expressing their opinions.
Morris ignored the question and continued his monologue.
Synonyms: speech, lecture, sermon, harangue
morose
ADJECTIVE
Someone who is morose is miserable, bad-tempered, and not willing to talk very much to other people.
unhappy, annoyed, and unwilling to speak or smile:
a morose expression
Why are you so morose these days?
She was morose, pale, and reticent.
Synonyms: sullen, miserable, moody, gloomy
importunate
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as importunate, you think they are annoying because they keep trying to get something from you.
[formal, disapproval]
His secretary shielded him from importunate visitors.
bombastic
ADJECTIVE
If you describe someone as bombastic, you are criticizing them for trying to impress other people by saying things that sound impressive but have little meaning.
[disapproval]
He was vain and bombastic.
…the bombastic style adopted by his predecessor.
Synonyms: grandiloquent, inflated, ranting, windy
belletrist
a writer of belles-lettres(literary works, esp essays and poetry, valued for their aesthetic rather than their informative or moral content)
genesis
SINGULAR NOUN [usually with poss]
The genesis of something is its beginning, birth, or creation.
[formal]
The project had its genesis two years earlier.
His speech was an exposition of the genesis of the conflict.
Synonyms: beginning, source, root, origin
culmination
noun [ U ]
the point at which an event or series of events ends, having developed until it reaches this point:
Winning first prize was the culmination of years of practice and hard work.
The book was a fitting culmination to his career.
reclusive
adjective
living alone and avoiding going outside or talking to other people:
a reclusive billionaire
She became increasingly reclusive after the tragedy.
dim
adjective
not giving or having much light:
The lamp gave out a dim light.
He sat in a dim corner of the waiting room.
We could see a dim (= not easily seen) shape in the fog.
literary
If your eyes are dim, you cannot see very well.
informal
not very clever:
He’s a nice guy, but a little dim.
UK Don’t be so dim!
monastic
adjective
connected with monks or monasteries
A monastic way of living is simple with few possessions and no people near you:
a monastic life
hermetic
adjective
ENGINEERING specialized
(of a container) so tightly closed that no air can leave or enter:
a hermetic seal
formal
If a particular group is hermetic, the people who live within it don’t often communicate with those who live outside it:
He entered the hermetic world of the monastery at a young age.
immolate
verb [ T ] formal
to kill yourself or someone else, or to destroy something, usually by burning, in a formal ceremony
literary to sacrifice (something highly valued)
resolute
adjective formal
determined in character, action, or ideas:
Their resolute opposition to new working methods was difficult to overcome.
She’s utterly resolute in her refusal to apologize.
disinclination
noun [ S or U ]
a feeling of not wanting to do something:
[ + to infinitive ] I have a strong disinclination to do any work.
hankering
noun [ C ]
a strong wish:
Don’t you ever have a hankering for a different lifestyle?
interwar
ADJECTIVE
of or happening in the period between World War I and World War II
fascism
noun [ U ] POLITICS (also Fascism)
a political system based on a very powerful leader, state control, and being extremely proud of country and race, and in which political opposition is not allowed
mimetic
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Mimetic movements or activities are ones in which you imitate something.
[formal]
Both realism and naturalism are mimetic systems or practices of representation.
congruent
Germane
ADJECTIVE [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If one thing is congruent with another thing, they are similar or fit together well.
[formal]
They want to work in an organisation whose values are congruent with their own. [+ with]
Synonyms: compatible, agreeing, according, consistent
ADJECTIVE
Something that is germane to a situation or idea is connected with it in an important way.
[formal]
…the suppression of a number of documents which were very germane to the case. [+ to]
Fenton was a good listener, and his questions were germane.
Synonyms: relevant, related, significant, appropriate
affinity
noun
a liking or sympathy for someone or something, especially because of shared characteristics:
She seems to have a natural affinity for/with water.
[ C or U ]
a close similarity between two things:
There are several close affinities between the two paintings.
pity
noun
a feeling of sadness or sympathy for someone else’s unhappiness or difficult situation:
The girl stood gazing in/with pity at the old lion in the cage.
She agreed to go out with him more out of pity than anything.
These people don’t want pity, they want practical help.
If something is described as a pity, it is disappointing or not satisfactory:
“Can’t you go to the party? Oh, that’s (such) a pity.”
[ + (that) ] It’s a pity (that) children spend so little time outside nowadays.
[ + (that) ] Pity (that) you didn’t remember to give me the message.
What a pity you’re ill!
“I called the restaurant, but they’re closed tonight.” “Pity.”
We’ll have to leave early, more’s the pity (= and I am unhappy about it).
The pity was that so few people bothered to come.
rue
sue
cue
VERB
If you rue something that you have done, you are sorry that you did it, because it has had unpleasant results.
[literary]
Tavare was probably ruing his decision. [VERB noun]
VERB
If you sue someone, you start a legal case against them, usually in order to claim money from them because they have harmed you in some way.
She sued him for libel over the remarks. [VERB noun + for]
The company could be sued for damages. [VERB noun for noun]
One former patient has already indicated his intention to sue. [VERB]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: take (someone) to court, prosecute, bring an action against (someone), charge
- COUNTABLE NOUN [oft with poss]
In the theatre or in a musical performance, a performer’s cue is something another performer says or does that is a signal for them to begin speaking, playing, or doing something.
The actors not performing sit at the side of the stage in full view, waiting for their cues.
I had never known him miss a cue. - VERB
If one performer cues another, they say or do something which is a signal for the second performer to begin speaking, playing, or doing something.
He read the scene, with Seaton cueing him. [VERB noun] - COUNTABLE NOUN [NOUN to-infinitive]
If you say that something that happens is a cue for an action, you mean that people start doing that action when it happens.
That was the cue for several months of intense bargaining. [+ for]
That was Nicholas’s cue to ask for another chocolate chip cookie. - COUNTABLE NOUN
A cue is a long, thin wooden stick that is used to hit the ball in games such as snooker, billiards, and pool.
Their youngest brother was nine when he picked up a cue for the first time.
unbridled
bridle
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe behaviour or feelings as unbridled, you mean that they are not controlled or limited in any way.
…the unbridled greed of the 1980s.
…a tale of lust and unbridled passion.
- VERB
If you bridle, you show that you are angry or offended by moving your head and body upwards in a proud way.
[literary]
She bridled, then simply shook her head. [VERB]
Alex bridled at the shortness of Pamela’s tone. [VERB + at]
Synonyms: get angry, draw (yourself) up, bristle, seethe
ardour
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Ardour is a strong, intense feeling of love or enthusiasm for someone or something. [literary] ...songs of genuine passion and ardour. ...my ardor for football.
sweeping
adjective [ before noun ]
affecting many things or people; large:
It is obvious that sweeping changes are needed in the legal system.
We need to make sweeping cuts to our budget.
A sweeping win or victory is an easy or complete win:
The candidate failed to win the sweeping victory he expected.
exhaustive
adjective
complete and including everything:
an exhaustive study/report
piecemeal
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe a change or process as piecemeal, you disapprove of it because it happens gradually, usually at irregular intervals, and is probably not satisfactory.
[disapproval]
The piecemeal approach, one country after another, is not a good one.
…piecemeal changes to the constitution.
Synonyms: unsystematic, interrupted, partial, patchy
trilobite
noun [ C ] BIOLOGY, GEOLOGY specialized
a simple, flat sea creature that lived in the earliest period of life on earth, with a hard outer layer and a body in three parts
armour
noun [ U ] UK (US armor)
strong covering that protects something, especially the body:
Police put on body armour before confronting the rioters.
In the past, knights used to wear suits of armour (= protective covering made of metal) in battle.
These grenades are able to pierce the armour of tanks.
trenchant
ADJECTIVE
You can use trenchant to describe something such as a criticism or comment that is very clear, effective, and forceful.
[formal]
He was shattered and bewildered by this trenchant criticism.
His comment was trenchant and perceptive.
Synonyms: clear, driving, strong, powerful
jurisprudence
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN
Jurisprudence is the study of law and the principles on which laws are based.
sus
- suspicion
- a suspect
ADJECTIVE - Also: suss
suspicious
abate
VERB
If something bad or undesirable abates, it becomes much less strong or severe.
[formal]
The storms had abated by the time they rounded Cape Horn. [VERB]
…a crime wave that shows no sign of abating. [VERB]
Sedulous
careful and using a lot of effort:
It was agreed that the few students sedulous enough to read the book deserved top marks for diligence.
pretension
a claim or belief that you can succeed or that you are important or have serious value:
The Chronicle has pretensions to being a serious newspaper.
The NY Giants’ Super Bowl pretensions were dashed when they were beaten last week.
Mordant
(especially of humour) cruel and criticizing in a humorous way:
mordant wit/humour
a mordant remark
histrionic
ADJECTIVE [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you refer to someone’s behaviour as histrionic, you are critical of it because it is very dramatic, exaggerated, and insincere.
[disapproval]
Dorothea let out a histrionic groan.
Synonyms: theatrical, affected, dramatic, forced
